Wild grape vine

leigh_va(z6b/7a)March 25, 2005

The woods surrounding my house are all strung together with what I believe are wild grape vines (along with honeysuckle). These woody vines are 2-3.5 inches in diameter. They look like a roller coaster running up and down in the woods and then up to the canopy.

I don't know if these are considered invasive or not but they have created a hazard. When one tree falls, it takes another 5 with it but they don't fall all the way to the ground. They just hang there, taunting us everytime we enter the woods. I have sawed through many at the vine base in an effort to get the vines to die and therefore eventually lose there strength so the trees can break free and make it all the way down to the ground.

My question: are these the caracteristics of wild grape and if so do I put this on my list of invasives to tackle or just worry about the big ones that are creating hanging tree hazards? Thanks, Leigh

Thanks, BCubed,
No, definitely not poison ivy. These vines don't stick to the trees. These vines are woody with bark. I see them coming up and going down to the ground in waves and then up into the canopy. I don't actually know "how" the vines get into the canopy since they don't appear to be "climbing" up anything. They appear to be draped through the tops of the trees.

I have fought this stuff for years. You need to cut the vines at the base and when they sprout, spray the leaves with Round-up or Brush Killer. You want to get these out because they will bloom and have seeds which the birds will spread, so it can be a never ending problem. I thought I had gotten rid of it, but it came back last summer, so I'm cutting and spraying this spring.

If the vine is sinewy on the older parts and smooth on the young parts, it is like grape. Around here we have the muscadine grape growing in the trees. Some I cut and some I leave, depending on where it is. But you may have a different situation, so do what is best for you.

Brush B Gone would be better as it is more formulated for woody plants than round up. If you compare the labels you'll see the chemical agent is different.

Hi Leigh,
My old farmstead was overrun with wild grape vine. It's a berry that birds love. But my father-in-law, who has been in the tree business in Ann Arbor for 30+ years, told me I'd better get the stuff off the high quality trees at the very least, and the (lower priority) other trees. I've been slowly getting rid of the wild grape in my woodland.

They can choke and pull down a tree. I have one tree that has five massive old vines and the limbs are all bent down toward the ground.

You will know it's wild grape because at the mature base of a grape vine, you will find chocolate brown colored, shaggy bark that comes off in fine, thin strips. The root tends to grow along the ground for a foot or more before it soars skyward into a tree. If you try to yank it out of the ground, you might wrench your back.

And where you find some wild grape, you'll find a ton of it. Ripened berries fall at the base of the same tree and that's all she wrote for that tree.

Saw it off at the ground and as much of the root as you can get to. Then cut as much of the vine out of the tree as you can reach. Resist the temptation to yank it out of the tree because you can easily bust limbs doing that.

Good luck, it's a bit of a job, but your woodland will look less neglected when you've got it out of there.

Thanks for the info. I found that what I cut 2 years ago started breaking down and now a little just keeps falling out of the trees with every wind storm. The bark is shaggy and kind of floats down so now I feel confident that "grape" is what I'm dealing with.

I'll keep working at it. I spend hours cutting the grapevines, honeysuckle and poison ivy vines and everytime I turn around, I see more that I didn't see before and I'm only dealing with a small area! I'm leaving the rest of the woods for the birds and such to enjoy.

From your description, I starting to believe that THIS is the junk that my back lot is being overrun with.

I was back in there this spring, & got in contact with something that made me break out badly enough to go to the doctor. Since the wild grape leaves look so shiny, is it possible that they caused my breakout? Or is it more likely that I got into some poison ivy?

Wild grape is not shiny and does not cause skin to break out. Wild grape has single, lobed leaves (similar to maple) and is rough and slightly hairy. Poison ivy does cause break out, has three leaflets and is shiny.

From the description, this is definitely wild grape. We live on land that was once a vineyard, and our woods is full of it, gone back to nature. It will completely ruin trees so you definitely want to get rid of it.

What my husband is doing is cutting it off at the ground or just above, excavating the roots if possible, and leaving the vines in the trees. They come out/down much easier after several years of drying out.

We also have honeysuckle, which looks entirely different, but is just as much of a pest. Judy pointed out the resemblance of wild grape to maple leaves -- it is a good way to tell. Neither is poisonous or causes skin irritation, but it sure in mentally irritating.

Wild grapes are an asset in my opinion. I have many plants in my area and I love all of them. In early June I harvest the younger leaves to make homemade stuffed grape leaves. In September and October I cherish the perfume of ripe Wild Concord grapes and harvest what I can reach to make grape juice and grape jelly for Christmas gifts. My niece swung on a grape vine with joy and I captured a great photo. The vines make wonderful wreaths. I consider poison ivy, bittersweet, thistles, nettles, and multiflora rose to be problem plants in my area.

I found
this delicate Northern vine-perhaps 15-25 ft. long on 7/20/05. birds
are attracted . There is a protruding stamen and a white 4 petal flower.Could it be clementis? The flower may be about 3 inches.
It was growing over a bush ,under a tree Next to a wet area by my 20[?] acre pond. The blossoms were 6-8 inches apart.
What is this?

funny, i joined this website in hopes of finding out where, in southeast michigan, i might find wild grapes to pick. they make FANTASTIC jam. While you're pulling them, you might consider using them too.

Any ideas from anyone else as to where near ann arbor, michigan i might find some wild grapes bearing actual grapes? I see a few vines, but no sign of grapes having grown. So disappointing.

We had a lot of them in CT, although we kept them out of the trees. If you chop them back hard, then they'll fruit (just like cultivated grapes). Their strong flavor does make great jelly- if you keep them under control!

note - wild grapes are native, not invasive. they still can cause problems though if you are looking to grow high value timber and/or have a manicured looking woods. I know they really take off after a woods is heavily logged.

Wild Grapes do not "climb" up a tree but grab onto a tree when it is a sapling and then grow with the tree into the canopy for many many years. the big grapvines can likely be the same age as the large trees.

If you have a sturdy tall tree with heavy grape vines on a hillside they make great swings for a few years until they're weak and thenyou fall down.

Unfortunatly clearing away oldgrowth grape vines is a relatively easy task.Wacking a hundred year old vine off at ground level is all that needed.The stump certainly won't makes its way back up to the tree tops before languishing in the shade of the forest floor.With some stout loppers and a small hand saw a whole area of woods can be cleared of vines rather quickly.But then again most destructive processes are easy.

I cut some in error before I was very good at telling the wild grape apart from the exotic nasty vines. I regretted it afterwards. The wild grape is valuable ecologically and is not so harmful to trees most of the time. Try and leave at least a few so they can set some seed and give the critters something other than invasives to snack on and spread.

I think wild grape vines are worth keeping. They produce fruit that birds and people relish, and they create a layer of habitat that is missing from vine-free woodlands. Many types of birds utilize hanging clumps of vines as an important part of their habitat. These birds include orioles and several types of warblers that forage in vine tangles for bugs and fruit.

If you have a particular vine that is damaging a tree you want to save, then cut it, but I think clearing all of the grapes from your woods will leave you with a barer, poorer woodland.

Early explorers of North America were excited to report that the trees were covered with large grape vines that produced edible fruit. They also reported many magnificent, straight trees which were necessary for ships building but rare in Europe by that time. So, grapes and trees generally do coexist pretty well, and grapes are a natural part of the forest.

Japanese honeysuckle and Asiatic bittersweet are a different story and I would get rid of those as completely as you can.

I have enjoyed reading this thread and will comment because it will probably never go away and maybe someone can come along a year from now like I have and like it just as much.

I have a few massive wild grape vines in my trees on my property and don't plan on ever whacking them back. The interest they provide is great near the ground, and although I don't see many of the grapes until they fall, I know the birds are enjoying them up there. Not sure why, but this year there were a lot more grapes falling to the ground.

I have been told by more than one person (a certified arborist being one of them) that there is not much harm in them as long as the vines don't weigh down the branches in the canopy. I don't see this happening up there and these have been here a LONG TIME (one is at least 12 in. diameter). I have seen english ivy, poison ivy, honeysuckle and of course kudzu completely shroud and weigh on trees. wild grape vines are NOT like this in my experience.

bummer -- i had this huge reply, and i know i hit "reply" but it's not here... oh well.

I have a lot of wild grape, and while I do like it due to the fact it is bird food, and possibly squirrels -- it can be a bit over whelming.

I have a lot of state property behind my house that I have been cleaning up over the past few yrs... some of it is pulling down smaller bushes/trees and after cutting some of the main vines, I actually found a crab apple tree. It was so covered in grape that you could not even see the lil apples.

I tend to cut the vine at the "nub" at ground level, and cut as much vine as I can reach. (when the vine branches dry, they make great kindling for fires) I also will find the root and cut it every foot or so to keep it from spreading ... don't try to pull the root out as all that does it "stir" up the grape and it comes back with a vengeance.

I've probably snipped back about 25% of what I had... so there is plenty left. Much of it was starting to encroach on my wild flowers and pull them down by the weight of the vines. Plus, where i've cut it back, i'm adding more wild flowers and perennials and maybe a small bush or two.

WG is not only bird food. It provides food for many species of sphinx moth caterpillars, like the achemon. These are the beautiful night-flying moths that look like tiny hummingbirds, and are the only insect that can pollinate deep-throated flowers. Using chemicals will be harmful to the birds and the caterpillars and moths. So, please consider this when you are thinking about the use of chemicals or pesticides.

Can I use the wild grapes for jams or jellies? We have an abundance of the grape clusters this year!! They are "green" right now, and I have heard that they should not be picked until after frost in the fall. Does anyone use these as food? I make blackberry pies, and I would also like to use these grapes somehow! I need advice, please.

Check out canning cookbooks for directions. You should add lemon juice to the receipt. Normally about 1/2 cup per batch. This will help bring out the full flavor of the fruit. Depending on the type of wild grape the fruit may become ripe before frost.

This will sound silly but please make certain the vines are grape and not another plant. I had someone ask about jelly but when they discribed the plant I knew something was not right. He wanted his wife to make jelly from poke berries. Since both can grow in clusters along with several other things. Identify before you put in your mouth.

Those of you who just have a few huge vines high in trees have never seen woods that are completely strung, tree to tree, with grapevine. like huge shrouds. The tops are broken out of the trees, fallen trees pull others over but nothing can fall to the ground. Grapevine may be native, but it can still destroy woods if it has a real hold on them.

The hill behind one of our properties has a large amount of wild grape vine covering the trees. A local contractor advised us that was a indicator of soil/hillside slippage. Does anyone know anything in that regard?

fernroad-- I live in SE michigan and I have lots of wild grape vines in my yard. They are very small purple grapes. I tasted one and it's very tart! If you are still looking, and these sound like what you want, let me know.

Here's a shot I took yesterday. The wild grape around here need lots of water, and this "one" has both a natural stream and a canal in close proximity. Every year the wild grape cover trees - and every year they bring trees down, opening long glades in the process and allowing sunlight back into the understory.

Some of the trunks down in that mess are as thick as a thigh. Nearly all are thicker than your forearm. I'll get some shots the next time I take the trail in that direction. Those little "lumps" covered in grape (big-leaf maples, buckeyes, oaks, and redbud) are better than fifteen feet tall, for reference.

I noticed bunches of dark blue grapes hanging from a tree at
the edge of my woods. Too high to reach even with a ladder.
So I built a flatbed trellis, carefully cut the tree down and laid the vine on the trellis.
Now I can reach the grapes easily, and so can the deer.
I now have three trellises like that, but only the first one makes grapes, I wait year by year hopefully.
I would really like to know how to promote the vines grape fertility.
This year I am watching the grapes grow. There is a perceptible increase in grape size every day. They are today about the size of pepper corns.
Not good to eat, I made wine last year. The grape flesh is thick and heavy. Needs far more work than is really worth it.
Except for the romance of it.
The non grape producing vines I have, get as far as the gazillion baby grape bunches, which simply just do not fertilize.
Actually, one enormous vine has 4 grapes on it this year, so there is hope.

There seems to be some confusion here.
I've wondered before if there are varieties of Wild grapes (no reason to think there wouldn't be) or merely different growing conditions. I'm still not certain but, whatever the case, what many folks here are talking about, I believe, are the same as what I have here: large woody, ugly, useless, annoying, very destructive vines. These have no redeeming value that I've seen and should be removed.
I've seen these single-handedly (so to speak) destroy a half dozen or so beautiful, old trees (I'm still feeling guilty about it thinking it partially due to my procrastination in removing them -- even though they weren't even on our property). We're still battling over dozens more.
The grape leaves, though they may be edible, assuming you could somehow harvest them, are usually too small to bother with. In this way, even garlic mustard is more desirable as, at least, it can provide some tasty greens. Wild grapes seem to put all their energy into spreading. I've rarely noticed any visible fruit and, on the very,very few occasions that I did, they were not the big, fat, juicy, desirable grapes some of you may be thinking of. These grapes are to Concords what crabapples are to apples or bird cherries are to Cherries. To be concerned that maybe a few of these might feed a couple birds makes about as much sense as protecting Japanese beetles or Emerald Ash Borers because maybe they might provide a meal to a few other insects or birds. And since it, not might but, WILL eventually kill its host, the cost is not worth the reward.
I harm or interfere with nature very little if at all. I plant, garden, grow, nurture but will kill Wild grape vines without any more hesitation than I would poison ivy. But then, I don't doubt that poison ivy also has its advocates.

There are many species of wild grapes. The one we usually make wine from is of European origin (Vitis vinifera). The concord grape used for grape juice is probably a hybrid between this species and the native Vitis labrusca. Our native grapes tend to be bitter and have the "foxy" smell/flavor associated with grape juice. Around here Vitis riparia, or river grape, is most common and produces less palatable fruits. It has been used for grafting wine grapes and for create hybrid grapes due it's hardiness and disease resistance.

Most people remove grape vines from their yards because they are aggressive and can eventually kill trees. In nature they serve the ecological function of creating canopy openings in forest environments. In a forest setting the vines have to compete for light under a dense canopy so most tree are spared. In a typical suburban setting the canopy tends to be fragmented already and this gives the vines ample light and optimal growing conditions.

It takes relatively little labor to prevent grape vines from killing trees. Cutting the stems near the ground will slow them down considerably. Treating the cut stem with glyphosate will slow them down even more.

Thanks for all the great insight i have the grape vines all over and i didnt think you could eat them, as for the multiflora rose I have it too, and you can make rose tea with the hips. But you do want to get most of the vines cut because they well kill the trees.

i have what i have always considered to be wild grape. it looks like wild grape, and gets a cluster of wannabegrapes, but the little seeds never produce. this vine crawls up trees and grows so fast i can't believe it. i am busy trying to kill it along my fence before it kills my fruit trees. i have looked up photos and it seems to be wild grape. it can kill a tree in a season.

I have loads of grape vines in my woods and was wondering if anyone knew of someone in Northern Ohio that harvests the vines to make wreaths or xmas trees. We had a guy stop by several years ago that left his card but cannot find it now that I need it:-)

My Uncle grows muscadine grapes in his yard and makes them into wine. Its freakin amazing the way it tastes. When he has big orders he will come out to my property and pick some wild ones. I like the WG, but much like many on here, they do get in the way and can cause tree damage.

I have wild grape vines on my property but keep them 'under control' um, attempt to, by trimming several times during spring, summer and fall, then early November chop completely down to base. I use the cuttings to make wreaths and whatnot. One vine grows around my deck and up through rails. Also have a few that grow around side of pool and up arbor. This has created a very nice shady spot. It is actually very clean for around pool plus no bees like wisteria. My husband hates it but I receive compliments. I do however keep this stuff away from as many trees as possible. It is amazing at how fast this stuff grows. One of my kids actually calls them my mutant vines.

Does anyone have experience with wild ginger? It's popping up everywhere under my front yard trees. Seems to be good ground cover. Weed? What,if anything, does it contribute to wildlife?

Native American wild ginger is a great ground cover but it can also be very aggressive. The interesting dark maroon flowers in the spring are hidden under the leaves and pollinated by snails. Not sure what eats it, if anything, it never shows any signs of being nibbled on. Perhaps the seeds are a food source for something. Deer don't like it. The roots can be dug and used as ginger flavoring, but it is very mild. Also the roots can be candied and eaten. It seems to be a good companion for ephemeral wildflowers, which come up among it in the spring and are gone before it reaches its full size. Can get to be about 6" tall. Transplants easily, just pull some of it up, lay it on the ground and cover the roots with a bit of soil, keep it watered for a while and there you are.

A chemical component of Asarum canadense (aristolochic acid) has been identified as a potential carcinogen. It is also diuretic and can may cause kidney problems so it might be best to steer clear of eating it. It is colonial but not something I would refer to as weedy.

Lots of known carcinogens out there, not going to worry about ginger. The roots are too small and too much trouble to mess with, except for one time when a friend experimented with it to see what it tasted like. It can definitely be agressive tho, once it is established. Not what I would call weedy by definitely likes to take over an area and gets really pushy after 15 yrs or so. Great ground cover. But not evergreen.

Amur peppervine is a non-native invasive species that closely resembles wild grape. At the rate it is taking over here in Vermont, I suspect it may become like kudzu in the south before long. It looks remarkably similar to wild grape, but it climbs trees and utility poles and covers ground in a similar fashion to kudzu.

Wild grape vine is very invasive. I can't imagine anyone planting this vine. Every year we spend hours cutting the vines at the base. The best time is in the fall or while snow is on the ground. The vines have destroyed beautiful bushes and can easily destroy trees. The bases of these vines can be 10 inches in diameter. We often use a chain saw for older established vines.

Here is my issue... mine don't have berries on them any time of the year... After living in my house for 3 years, I have several old vines that just started to sprout this year that are around 5 inches in diameter... Not sure why they did now...

My issue is that I can not touch them... I break out...

When I have cut out the same type of vines, the roots have a red tint to them...

I would surely like to get my hands on the kind of wild grapes that we had on our farm in western Minnesota. They were small berries, very tart and so acidy that they would make your lips chapped and your tongue a little soar if you ate a lot of them. I don't recall how high they climbed but they didn't seem to be any problem to the cottonwood and wild plumb trees that they climbed on.
My correct email address is: kenlichtsinn@att.net. My email address in this forum is incorrect; I'll try to figure out how to change it.

I have what appears to be wild concord grapes growing in the woods around our home in west Michigan. I would like to take cuttings and start growing them over an arbor or like a vine yard. I have zero experience with anything beyond tomatoes so I could use advice on how to cut the wild vines and root them in my yard.

The issue with Vitis riparia-the riverbank grape-is that while it is native and does offer food and shelter for a variety of wildlife, and in my opinion does produce tart but tasty fruits, is that for some reason, it appears to be on the rampage, at least in the part of the world where I happen to live. A few wild vines here and there are actually a nice compliment to the other wild plants we see, but what's happening is that grape seems to be agressively climbing up conifers in particular, with their tiered branch arrangment, eventually killing them by shading out all their foliage. No, they don't "strangle" trees, nor choke, nor anything else but simply shade them out with their rapid growth.

I've got a bunch of this plant on my property, and only ever really target it for removal where it's growing up into my native white cedar groves (Thuja occidentalis) which make up a prominent part of my woods. And especially along roadsides up in that area, this seems to be what's happening-wild grape growing up into cedar and other conifers, eventually killing them with shade.

bad.. you post has nothing to do with the TEN YEAR OLD ORIGINAL ... next time.. start a new one.. with an appropriate title.;..

i dont know why you would want a weed grape.. on a fancy arbor ...

i would suggest you invest $20 mail order .. on a named variety.. that will provide you with sublime grapes.. for the rest of your life .. for the purpose you want to accomplish ...

and i would suggest.. you visit the fruit forum..and quiz those experts on what to grow.. for what purpose.. in your area ...or talk with a local winery in your area .... as west MI is rather well know for their fruit crops ...

if you want a concord grape.. then buy a quality named concord grape... not some weed grape that shot out the butt of a bird... and may or may not end up a valuable grape for making.. lets say jelly ... or wine ...

i live over in adrian MI ... home of the raisin river ... the indians and the french used to eat wild raisins found along the banks .... and with hundreds of miles to harvest ... the 1/2 inch grapes were worth something ...

again.. let me suggest.. they might not be a great crop.. on one arbor.. in one backyard ... and unfortunately .. you will have invested 5 years in growing such.. before you find out ...

invest in a quality cultivar.. and you will be rewarded ...

good luck

ken

ps: you might also want to research the strength of your arbor ... as a grape vine.. left to ramble.. can crush.. many a structure ...

Big problem here in SE Pennsylvania is the invasive Oriental Bittersweet vines are acting as a ladder for the native "fox" grape to get to the top of the canopy where they spread like crazy and must be chopped down or the host trees will soon be killed. Please oh please never plant what they sell as "Bittersweet" even if the little seed pods are so nice and rosy red for Christmas!!!!!

I couldn't agree more....I am south of you in No Va and I'm never w/out my bittersweet/grapevine clippers :) What I don't get, is, that certain trees like sassafras and, ironically, the empress trees (Paulownia tormentosa), also native to Asia, seem to attract them. They climb on other species too, but I have not come across a single sassafras on this property that is free from bittersweet....maybe it has something to do w/the root morphology of the "host" trees?

Interesting, if slightly off-topic: Just read an article detailing the apparent increase in vine growth in the tropics. While this is a different part of the world and a different forest type, researchers are attempting to get a handle on what seems to be happening, with vine species native to that part of the world seeming to be gaining the upper hand in climbing forest trees, to those trees' detriment. Same deal in one respect-the damage being done is in shading out the foliage of the host tree(s). I think the same exact thing is going on where I live-grape vines which used to sit peacefully within the matrix of native plant species, now seem to be growing out of control, covering up, as I said above, especially conifers, and among those, especially Thuja occidentalis.

Nettie, that doesn't look lie buckthorn. That crapadelic species features glossy bark, even in a mature specimen. Your's looks to be box elder perhaps, another less-than-valuable species, albeit a native one.